This invention relates to a hard disk driver with an integrated structure electrostatically removing dielectric particles generated during the operation, and an electrostatic cleaning method for a hard disk driver.
As is known, hard disk drivers with electrostatic-type micrometric actuation often generate harmful dielectric particles that may block the microactuator during operation.
Centrifuge or forced-air jet systems have been proposed to address this problem. Both solutions are very costly and bulky, however, and are not applicable to devices of small size such as the above-mentioned microactuator for hard disks.
An advantage of the invention is therefore to provide a small-sized structure for removing dielectric particles from the surface of the microactuator of a hard disk driver, which is compatible with integrated devices and is inexpensive to produce and operate.
Embodiments of the present invention provide a hard disk driver having an integrated structure for electrostatic removal of dielectric particles, and an electrostatic cleaning method for a hard disk driver.
In practice, embodiments of the invention provide a plurality of conductive regions that are adjacent and spaced apart to each other and to which bias pulse trains are supplied. Each biased conductive region therefore generates an electric field that attracts any dielectric particles. The pulse trains supplied to immediately adjacent annular regions are phase-shifted of a predetermined time and in a direction linked to the direction of removal desired for the electrostatic particles. In particular, each conductive region receives voltage pulses delayed with respect to the voltage pulses sent to the immediately preceding conductive region in the direction of desired removal and advanced with respect to the voltage pulses sent to the immediately successive conductive region.